For all of my Trader Joe’s loving readers, this post is for you! I have been wanting to do this post FOREVER, and I finally had some time this past week to take some photos at my Trader Joe’s. Oh, and I took a ton of time to study the labels of these items to ensure they were Whole30 approved!

What is Whole30?

So let’s back up a bit. For those of you who need a bit more background on Whole30. Whole30 is a nutritional program that helps you to reset those unhealthy eating habits and cravings, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your gut, and re think the way you eat food! For 30 days you focus on eating REAL foods: all with ingredients you recognize, or those foods without ingredients!

Whole30 with Trader Joe’s

So let’s get back to Trader Joe’s. My favorite grocery store because of the convenience, creative foods, and informative and friendly staff. I love that I can get in and out of that store so quickly; even when buying more than a few days of groceries!

Trader Joe’s is also super convenient for busy people; many of the foods you can purchase are already prepped for you (think riced cauliflower, spiralized veggies, seasoned meat, frozen entrees with minimal ingredients that are ready to be re-heated, you get the idea). They even have several fun healthy snacks, sauces, marinades, etc that are all Whole30 compliant. So let’s get started!

Produce

Most everything in the produce section is Whole30 compliant because you are simply stocking up on vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Keep in mind that salad dressings or sauces will most likely not be compliant (exception of one listed below)In my printable list, you’ll find some of my favorites, but feel free to include more. I am not much of a fruit person, especially on Whole30, so most of my list includes veggies. I should highlight a few of my absolute staples:

Butternut Squash Zig Zags

Sweet Potato Ribbons

Cruciferous Crunch

Asparagus Saute

Green Goddess Dressing (the only dressing I can find that is compliant in the entire store)

Spiralized Zucchini

Protein

Not everything in the meat and seafood section will be Whole30 compliant, quite the contrary! Many meats have extra additives and sugar that are not compliant. Look for items with just one ingredient, or that do not have processed ingredients. Ground beef, steak, chicken, salmon, ground turkey, pork loin (without marinade), pork chops, etc will all be compliant. When looking at the packaged or flavored meats, it’s more complicated. For example, it’s very difficult to find pork products that are compliant. Some of the chicken sausages are compliant, but not all! I am highlighting those that are so if you wanted to purchase something simple that can just be re-heated, this will come in handy!

Poultry: chicken thighs and breasts are compliant. The following sausages are compliant: Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Roasted Garlic Sausage. I checked every other chicken sausage in my local store and they contained sugar. Ground Turkey, Turkey breast cutlets, and Turkey half breast are also compliant.

Vegetables: as mentioned above, a ton of good options here: spiralized zucchini and carrots, riced cauliflower, grilled cauliflower, beet chunks, organic rainbow cauliflower, bell pepper medley, crushed ginger, crushed garlic, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, and many more. The only caveat here, is that some of the vegetables come with sauces that contain dairy or sugar. Get the veggies without sauce.

Drinks

Sugary beverages and alcohol are completely off limits on Whole30; this also includes any sweetened drinks and “diet” drinks. Coffee and tea are completely fine, without any sugar or sweeteners. For those who are trying to kick a soda addiction, there are plenty of good options to try such as sparkling herbal water, or Kombucha without sugar. Luckily, Trader Joe’s has several good choices!

Coffee: the many flavors of Instant Coffee, ground coffee, or coffee beans are all compliant. The Organic Cold Brew is the only “pre-made” coffee drink that is compliant. Any of the latte powders are NOT compliant.

Teas: Plenty of herbal, green, and black teas to choose from. This category is similar to the coffee category in that any of the powdered mixes (such as a Matcha Latte mix) are not compliant. The canned Matcha Green Tea is.

Kombucha: The Trader Joe’s Kombucha drink contains added sugar, but the GTS Gingerade and Trilogy are compliant, as well as the Brew Dr. Kombucha.

Almond Milk: The shelf stable Unsweetened almond milk is a good option as a coffee creamer or used in recipes that call for dairy-free milk.

Dips/Sauces

Trader Joe’s has no shortage of fun flavorful dips, sauces, and spreads. Most of them are off limits during Whole30, but I was pleasantly surprised with some newer options that I think you guys will love!

Salsas: I found 4 salsas in the snack aisle, and 2 in the refrigerated section that were compliant. Salsa Authentica, Hatch Valley Salsa, Salsa Verde, and Pepita Salsa are all next to the chips. The Pico de Gallo and Salsa Especial are in the refrigerated section. You can also find 2 different gaucamoles here: Avocado’s Number, and the Chunky Spicy (one of my favorite items!)

Dips: I am excited about the new dip I found! Jalapeño Lime Almond Dip would work well with veggies. The Vegan Kale, Cashew, & Basil Pesto and Zhoug Sauce are also great additions!

Other condiments: Spicy Brown Mustard, Raw Sauerkraut, and Prepared Horseradish. Just a note on the Prepared Horseradish. Check your labels, a reader told me that at her TJ’s the Prepared Horseradish had soybean oil. In my store, it is compliant and doesn’t have soybean oil. One of the TJ’s employees told me that some refrigerated items are prepared differently in certain parts of the country. So while it might be compliant in Virginia, it may not be in California!

Pantry Staples/Snacks:

Definitely the biggest section of items! I buy so many of my staple items here, but once again, check labels. For example, did you know that only the chicken broth and vegetable broth are compliant? The TJ’s beef broth contains sugar, and this is true in many broths in other stores! Some things that I absolutely love: cornichons, marinated artichokes (use these in salads and for snacks), marinated tomatoes (also use in salads), Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning (so perfect on eggs), Seasoned Buffalo Ghee, and many more below.

Nuts/nut butters: Any of the plain nuts are compliant (except for peanuts), just stay clear from any trail mix. The Thompson Seedless Raisins are also Whole30, you can use these in recipes such as my Chicken Biryani. Chia seeds and hemp seeds are also great options for salads and texture on foods. I love TJ’s cashew butter, any of the almond butters, and the mixed nut butter. No peanut butter.

Oils/Vinegars: Avocado oil is another staple in my house, ghee (the new buffalo seasoning one is really yummy), olive oil, and coconut oil. The three vinegars I buy here are the organic apple cider, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Stay away from the salad dressings.

Spices/Seasonings: The Herbs de Provence is fantastic on French style dishes or just with chicken, also LOVE the Everything But the Bagel Seasoning for eggs, and the new Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning. All of the spices are great options although the selection is not as great as you would find at a traditional grocery store.

Jarred: cornichons (love these as a snack!), marinated artichokes, any of the olives, capers, minced garlic, sun dried tomatoes, Giardiniera (pickled vegetables), Jalapeño pepper hot sauce, and the Harissa sauce. Many other items here are not compliant.

Reader Interactions

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Hi Rocco, there are actually 3 different types of guacamole at Trader Joe’s. The one with Greek yogurt is called “Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole” and is not pictured or talked about in this article. Thanks for letting me clarify that there could be some confusion. Only buy the Chunky Spicy Guacamole (pictured above) or Avocado’s Number.

I thought the Jalapeño chicken sausage and the Sweet Italian had sugar in it! I think it’s the spicy Italian chicken sausage that is compliant. I’ll double check the label when I go later today. Thanks for your list. Can’t wait to try that pesto. Also the Zhoug Sayce is compliant and us a really yummy spicy herby sauce.

Hi Nancy, i’ll have to check again on the Jalapeño when i’m In the store! But, I am pretty sure it was fine. The spicy Italian might also be good, but my store could have been out. Also, kind of seems funny that the “sweet” Italian Sausage doesn’t have sugar, but it didn’t. I’ll have to see if I can find that sauce, sounds yummy!

Hi Robyn, Thanks for letting me know. I went in to my Trader Joe’s store and found out it doesn’t have soybean oil making it compliant! I did talk to one of the employees who told me that some refrigerated items are prepared differently in certain parts of the country. So maybe yours is different? I think it’s important for me to make note of that above. I had no idea!

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I’m Amy, foodie, nutritionist, recipe developer, wife, and busy mom of 2. I am on a mission to create everyday nutritious recipes that taste absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I love comfort food with a healthy twist. Follow me as I share the simple meals I make for my family. I’ll make meal planning easy by telling you exactly what we eat every week! Read More